If You Pursue Sports, Please Consider….

How will your success in your sport help OTHERS?

First off: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

It’s pure coincidence that this week’s article relates to the spirit of Christmas.

Last week I did my first-ever full basketball self-development breakdown, from dribbling and passing to strength and mobility.

10 self-development videos are now in this YouTube playlist. I will forevermore keep this playlist up-to-date (I already have plans to improve 3 of the videos in January, but thanks to the playlist, you can always go to one spot and have a full set of systems to work with.).

I should’ve started this playlist 6+ years ago when I was coaching high school basketball, but back then I didn’t even have a personal YouTube channel. The lightbulb hadn’t fully gone on yet that my purpose was to share my knowledge with anyone, anywhere, for free.

On that note…

THE POINT OF THIS ARTICLE

If you’re going to pursue a sport, how will your success in that sport help OTHERS?

Professional sports are pretend battles for the sake of entertaining audiences.

The players wouldn’t be making millions of dollars if fans weren’t willing to pay to be entertained.

The “DEFEND THIS HOUSE” and “PROTECT THIS CITY” banners in sports arenas are make-believe.

As an athlete, you are not actually protecting your city.

You could make one hundred million dollars and potentially not truly help one soul.

You will likely inspire some people for a moment, but where will that inspiration lead?

As a player, I saw the passion for sports lead to such good times that I still get chills thinking back to winning a college conference championship with my teammates.

I also saw it lead to coaches cursing psychotically at their players and behaving as if the sport was more important than the spirit. (For the record: I’m lucky that my college coach made me an even better friend, husband, and father. We are friends to this day.)

Later on as a trainer, I found myself coaching an NBA player whose goal was a 16-car-garage and extreme amounts of promiscuous sex.

Yes: The last day I accepted money to personally train an NBA player, I overheard a conversation that made me quit on the spot.

I realized that even if I helped this NBA player get better, the EFFECT would be the world becoming just a bit WORSE.

My whole viewpoint as a trainer came crashing down.

The very next week, the government shut down all gyms.

I sold my original ATG gym (which I regret, but that deserves a longer discussion).

I then went 6 months without touching a piece of exercise equipment, ultimately bringing you Knee Ability Zero.

Then I made a YouTube channel and began sharing all my knowledge so anyone out there could learn everything I know.

I’ve made a lot of mistakes, but I haven’t really had a bad day since, because my heart is fuller than I had ever hoped for.

Now that I’m back coaching, I realize that I could have taken more responsibility.

The person I am now wouldn’t have walked away from that NBA player.

The person I am now would have looked him in the eyes and said something like:

“You’re an incredible athlete and I can tell that you have a big heart.

“I know I may sound like a jerk, but I want you to be truly happy.

“You are brilliant and I believe you can think of a way to use your personal success to bring something priceless into this world to help other people.

“I believe you will find greater happiness with this pursuit than any person on this earth will ever get from a material possession.

“I don’t know what this creation will be for you, but you made yourself an NBA player, an NBA CHAMPION!

“Don’t underestimate what you are capable of, and please feel free to discuss this with me.”

In my case, what does this look like?

Well, my success with ATG allows me the time to volunteer coach youth basketball.

It allows me the money to donate equipment to schools.

It allows me the chance to pursue USA manufacturing of my equipment, clothing and shoes at a time when all exercise and basketball shoe manufacturing jobs have been abandoned in this country.

I may fail at many of my goals to help others, but this viewpoint and these pursuits are the stuff that make great civilizations and make the GOOD TIMES possible.

How can your success help others?

I believe this is the most important conversation to have with an aspiring athlete, even if for their own sake, because I’ve now talked with too many former pro athletes who’ve wound up mentally depressed after their careers because their individual success did NOT leave the lasting peace and happiness they assumed they would have.

Yours in Solutions,

Ben

ATG Online Coaching (Affordable access to all my programs, with form coaching so you eventually get each movement as I would help you get it in-person.)

Equipment, Shoes, & Shorts (Everything is on sale through the holidays, including our new USA-made gym shorts!)

Map to see if there’s an in-person ATG coach/gym near you!